[Alain]

Bentley driver Eric van de Poele has survived a huge 200mph accident during a 24-hour endurance test at Paul Ricard in France.

The Belgian's EXP Speed 8 became airborne at the end of the mile-long Mistral Straight on Monday night as the team carried out its preparations for Le Mans. The car slewed sideways, took off and caught the top of the guard rail before coming to rest upside down against a small outside retaining wall.

Van de Poele walked away from the wreck unaided, was not taken to hospital and continued driving the team's second car on Tuesday morning.

A brake problem is believed to be the reason for the accident, which began at the point on the circuit on which the car hit 200mph. A puncture has been ruled out as the cause.

Van de Poele said: "As soon as I hit the brakes the car went to the left onto the kerbs, went sideways and flew."

But he ruled out the accident as one comparable to those which have affected Porsche, Mercedes and BMW prototypes which flipped in a straight line in the past four years.

bron: www.autosport.com

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